Polly O'leary

SBA, Dip SBA (Dist)

Adventures in Botanical Art

Friday, 18 December 2015

Vellum Adventures

“Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it.” Salvador Dali

For a while I'd been wanting to try out painting on Vellum and last year, fellow artist and friend Shevaun Doherty gifted me a sample of vellum for me to try. For a year I looked at it, examined it and backed away. what if I spoiled it? what if I wasted it making mistakes and ruined it?

In the end, I contacted William Cowley and bought a sample pack suitable for painting on. Still I waited, there was only one piece of each type and I'd never worked on vellum before.

More research was needed. Luckily some of my Botanical Artist friends have blogged online about their Vellum painting techniques, so I was able to read about how they work with this tricky medium.

Once I had enough information, it was time to practise my technique. I've never been one to practise a piece fully before painting. A few tonal/colour swatches and notes, a trial of a few petals/buds/leaves and I'm off. I've always produced better results when I'm still exploring a subject and there's no point in having my best work in a sketchbook. But there's no room for this with Vellum, it's too rare, so practise I did.

First practise was on paper, then on a small piece of Sheepskin Parchment which was lovely to work on. Fortunately the gooseberries didn't ripen together so there was a steady supply of berrries.

Dry brush practise on Paper, then Vellum (on top)

Dry brush on paper above, on Vellum below

Then, with more confidence, a more ambitious attempt on Manuscript Vellum, I tried a little piece of Kelmscott, but really didn't like working on it.

Dry Brush on Manuscript Vellum

At last I felt that I could brave a larger piece and decided to try working on the Calfskin Vellum, a small branch of Gooseberries

First washes and Dry brush

At first they looked a bit like glass Christmas Baubles, with their pale colours

Building up the colours on the berries

Then as more colours were laid down, they started to look more Gooseberry-like

Hairless Gooseberry - Watercolour on Vellum

Salvadore Dali was right, there's no danger of me reaching perfection, but I won't stop trying.
I'm still not sure how I feel about painting on vellum, but I have a little more, so will try it again when I find the right subject. What do you think, are you tempted to try it?

Thanks Lesley. Do order some samples, you'll be glad you did, and the lnks to other Vellum Artists will help you get to grips with the techniques. Not sure I've got the knack yet, but I'm working on it.

Looking good Polly! It's amazing how it just glows, I'd forgotten the wonder that is vellum. I guess I just had to otherwise it would have become an expensive addiction! I think you've done a marvellous job.

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About Me

I paint plants, sometimes I paint the critters that live on plants and munch them. Sometimes the critters that live on the plants like to bite me instead of the plants, which can be painful. Occasionally, the people I live with like to eat what I'm painting, which can be frustrating.
Keeping a sketchbook, I get to study the plants in depth and really get to know them before progressing to painting 'on the good paper'. There is so much wonder in a leaf, and so many different colours! I also love colour, of flowers, buds, hairs, spines, and of the paints - so many different colours to play and experiment with...